Medic Nin Sasuke
by dyingUta
Summary: So as to give Itachi a sign of what he thinks of his great masterplan (and maybe to not have to deal with village politics), Sasuke Uchiha has a new goal: become Head Medic Nin of Konoha's Hospital. After all the best revenge is a life lived well. There are some OCs but this is a Sasuke-centric story. PLEASE REVIEW
1. Origins

At Konoha's Hospital, hours after leaving the site of his family's slaughter and still reeling from shock, Uchiha Sasuke opened his eyes. He was lying on top of a stiff hospital bed, medical seal tags all over his body, and an IV needle pumping whatever narcotics the medics thought were necessary to keep him from joining his parents in the afterlife. His only clothes were a thin green hospital robe. His eyes were clouded by the drugs and grief, but it wasn't long before they cleared with the sudden fury running through his brain at the memories of this night's events.

 _How dare he? That bastard kills our entire family, traps me in the most messed up genjutsu I've ever seen, and he thinks he can tell me what to do? He said I must spend my entire life trying to beat him. Well, I never want to see him again! He'll probably die from the first D-Rank missing-nin that crosses his path. Maybe then he'll learn not to be a traitor._

Despite his anger, Sasuke knew that Itachi was much stronger than he was willing to admit. His career as ANBU probably meant he knew how to keep himself hidden and not attract attention to himself or his scratched hitai-ate. No, Itachi wouldn't die from a mere missing-nin and he probably wouldn't be captured by Konoha's forces either. Sasuke wouldn't be the one to kill him either, no matter what his older brother seemed to think. He'd rather quit the academy and live as a civilian than go along with Itachi's plan.

It was at this time that a severe faced nurse interrupted Sasuke's internal angst with a small jab at his chest. Turning his head to glare at her, (he hadn't even noticed her entering the room or even approaching and he was tired of being surprised) Sasuke was shocked to find her glaring back.

"Whatever is it that you're thinking Uchiha-san, please stop. It is disturbing your heart seals. We don't want any problems in an area so important, ne?" She said in a surprisingly strong voice. Sasuke didn't even know monitoring medical seals could stop organs or whatever else the nurse seemed to be implying. He checked her over for an identification badge but couldn't find it on her white uniform. Was she even a real nurse?

"And your name Nurse-san?" Sasuke finally managed to rasp out. Wow his throat was sore. It was probably because of all the screaming he'd done under Itachi's torture. He tried to lessen his glare. He was trying to be polite after all.

"I'm Sasaki Fuyuko, the head nurse of Konoha's genjutsu hospital wing. I can still see you thinking and no, these tags aren't dangerous by themselves. However if you interfere with the readings, we might up your dose and accidently finish your brother's job." She didn't stop working while talking to him, her fingers glowing green as she prodded at his seals. "Now close your eyes, Uchiha-san. I need to check on your nervous system."

Shocked at her less than tactful words he complied. The silence between them grew uncomfortable as Sasuke felt her working, a slight warmth sliding over his face. Or at least that's how Sasuke interpreted it. Sasaki-san probably didn't care about the quiet at all. After what felt like hours but were probably just a few minutes, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore and asked more than a little irritated.

"Don't you think you're being too honest here? I'm probably traumatized right now and I don't need the reminder of what my b- _that man_ has done to our- _my_ family."

Sasuke felt Sasaki-san's hands retreat and figured it was safe to open his eyes. He found the head nurse staring at him, a serious expression on her face.

"I apologize if I'm being too forward here Uchiha-san, but I've found in my experience here at this ward that genjutsu victims often prefer not to be lied to. I think in your case in particular you might benefit even more from this. Your life from now on will be very different as you won't have your family to help with your emotional grounding and trauma recovery. Also as the sole survivor of a major clan you will have to deal with both politics _and_ finances which I believe were things you were just now being introduced to. There is no more time for you to be coddled, be it by me or the village. If you grow complacent you _will_ be used by those with more experience."

With that said she got up and left the room, the only noise left in her wake the birds chirping outside Sasuke's hospital window and his breath which was starting to get ragged as he took in what Sasaki-san said. People would come for him in a way different from his brother, to use him instead of threaten him.

She was right. Of course she was. Sasuke had seen men and women from inside and outside his clan come into his father's office so they could "talk". They always left as they came, with an air of entitlement and either resentment or smug satisfaction hanging on the hidden corner of their faces. Sasuke knew this wasn't the same battlefield he was learning about at the Academy. It was much more subtle and no enemies could be defeated with a kick and a kunai to the face.

Sasaki-san wasn't trying to insult him. She was giving him what was probably his last taste of honesty for a long while and he had the nerve to be offended. Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes again. He would not give his brother the satisfaction of manipulating him, but Sasuke wouldn't survive if he focused his life on what Itachi wanted. He had other, more immediate things to worry about. He had no allies in what he was sure to be a strange land.

 _If only I had somewhere I could go without risk being used… I can't leave Konoha or I'll be marked as a traitor and join that man as a missing nin. The Hokage is too busy and I don't think he liked my family very much from the looks I've seen him direct at the Compound sometimes. The only person who might be honest with me is Sasaki-san and as Head Nurse she is sure to be stuck at the hospital most of the day and I'll probably be leaving here in a week. If only I could stay here…_

With a sharp intake of breath Sasuke clenched his fist, but he made sure to keep his arm immobile, as to not interfere with the seal tags. An idea had formed in his head that would allow him to stay here. If he became a medic nin it would be expected of him to be at the hospital and it would have the nice bonus of being the last thing his brother wanted him to become.

Yes. He was going to finish his Academy studies, graduate top of class and become the Head Medic Nin of Konoha's Hospital. Then, he wouldn't have to leave the village and risk meeting Itachi. Then, he wouldn't have to be out there talking to clan elders or councils about things they have no business in. Sasuke congratulated himself for making such a great plan while drugged up his throat. As he drifted off to sleep he made a mental note to buy the head nurse some flowers. Or maybe a gift basket. He wasn't sure anymore.


	2. Graduation

AN: here's a time skip with a bit of flashback. I'll try to update this fic daily. I don't really have a clear ending but the story is very much planned. Please enjoy and don't forget to leave a review when you're done

* * *

Now that he's at the end of his years at the Academy, Sasuke can safely look back and know he's done a pretty good job looking after himself. He followed his plan and trained twice as hard as before, staying late at the Academy's training ground practicing his taijutsu. He also paid close attention to the books on anatomy and chakra theory, as they would serve him well as a medic nin.

Not that Sasuke had told anyone of his future goals. He knew the old politicians would try to interfere if he "wasted his talent" being stuck in the village's hospital. At least he hadn't activated his Sharingan yet, as Sasuke knew those eyes would be even more valued than before, now that he was the last of his clan. If he ever got the Sharingan, he was sure the village wouldn't allow him to settle down in a quiet job which was inadmissible to him.

So Sasuke trained everyday, and glowered at whoever tried to talk him into relaxing. He'd have plenty of time for that later. Now he had to put on a convincing performance of a boy on the road for revenge. He had no doubts his brother was spying on him with the crows he'd see sometimes in the corner of his eyes. He wasn't sure what Itachi would do if he realized Sasuke didn't care about his brother at all, had long since tried to forget everything about that day.

One thing he did as soon as he was able to was move out from the Uchiha Compound. Despite the ANBU's best efforts it still smelled of death and rotten blood. There was no way Sasuke would remain sane if he kept living amidst the ghosts of that night. The Village Council tried to interfere, saying he was too young to live alone but Sasuke knew the Uzumaki boy lived by himself.

After reminding the Elders of their hypocrisy, Sasuke found himself a nice apartment which he bought with the money he'd inherited. And wasn't that a surprise. He'd always lived a comfortable life as the Clan Head's son, but now Sasuke had the money of all Uchiha. That was probably why the number of girls lusting after him increased in ten fold. He had remembered the words of Sasaki-san and tried to ignore all of them, which was difficult since they were half of his classmates.

Speaking of classmates, Sasuke was dreading his future genin team. Even if he managed to avoid being stuck with a rabid fangirl, the boys in his class weren't any better. They were either too loud, too lazy or simply too mediocre to keep up with him. Some people would call it arrogance but it's just that Sasuke knew he didn't have any hobbies besides studying and training. He didn't have parents to tell him when to stop and he didn't have friends to distract him. Of course he was above them in every academic aspect.

The only time he relaxed was when he cooked for himself and even that was training of some sort. He wanted to to get used to the idea of mixing ingredients and knowing just by looking if it was too little or too much of something. It would be a great thing when he was finally promoted to genin and allowed to mix his own poisons and medicine. He also tended to his vegetable garden, which would soon be upgraded with a far more deadly combination of plants. All that was left to do was pass his final exams and he would be given his own hitai-ate, a solid proof of his progress.

Making the way from his apartment district to the Academy, Sasuke reviewed what he'd studied the night before. There sure would be at least one question about the chakra system and how it affects jutsu performance. A few questions about Konoha's relationship with the Daimyo and other Hidden Villages.

For some reason the Academy books were very light on materials of the Yondaime Hokage, probably due to his death at a young age, so the history question would probably be about Konoha's foundation. He suppressed a sigh as he thought about Uchiha Madara going mad with grief and fighting the other founders. There should also be a philosophy question in the written test but Sasuke had never been good with those.

Sasuke was certain he would get the best score in target throwing and taijutsu, since he was holding first place for three years now. He moved on to wondering what ninjutsu the teachers might have him perform. He could make a good Henge, his Bunshin were mobile, and while his Kawarimi was slightly off center Sasuke was confident that he would graduate as Rookie of the Year. Satisfied with his self-analysis, Sasuke opened the door to his noisy classroom and stepped inside.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe he was stuck with both annoying dead last Uzumaki and "please have my babies" Haruno. What were his sensei thinking? Was this punishment for being so standoffish in school? It wasn't his fault no one at the Academy seemed to take their studies seriously. He had even considered skipping grades but then he would attract people's attention even more and that would've been unacceptable to deal with. But now he was starting to regret staying in his class. His team mates were supposed to be his support but if anything they'd most likely only drag him down.

Sasuke watched as Jounin after Jounin came to pick up their teams, until only Team Seven was left waiting. Sasuke could feel Haruno's unsubtle staring and disgust creeped up his spine as she tried to inch closer. He was preparing himself to flee or snub her when Sasuke heard Uzumaki Naruto's loud yawn and then inspired high pitched noises. He was almost relieved when he jumped up and said in a mischievous tone of voice:

"Let's prank our new sensei!"


	3. Introductions

AN: I realise the last chapter was a bit on the short side so I tried to make it up to you guys. Enjoy this ~2k words of Sasuke's very own ninja way. elbereth I took your review to heart and made a few adjustments to my plan. As always, please don't forget to leave a review on your way out~

Sasuke blinked. He was not expecting that. He should have though, Uzumaki Naruto had quite the fame for being a prankster and troublemaker. Of course his first instinct when faced with a late teacher was to prank him as 'punishment'. Sasuke only grunted, watching as Haruno turned from sweet to fierce at a heartbeat, punching Uzumaki in the back of the head. Sasuke would've been impressed if it weren't for the harpy-like screeches that followed.

He agreed though. It would be stupid to needlessly antagonize the person who would be responsible for their lives on the battlefield until the day they were made Chunin. Now how to say this without making the blond boy do the opposite because of spite… Sasuke made a low noise in the back of his throat, attracting the attention of both of his teammates. Sasuke only stared back at Uzumaki though, not willing to give the Haruno fangirl any ideas.

"Hhn. I thought you were smarter than this, dobe" Sasuke said intentionally vague. Predictably Uzumaki glared at him, body language turning slightly defensive. "What the hell are you on about, teme?"

Haruno raised her fist, ready to 'defend' her crush when stopped Sasuke her with a motion of his hand. She was surprised at being addressed and lowered her hand. If they stayed as a team Sasuke would tell her to train more of her taijutsu. For someone so inclined to a violent approach, her taijutsu academy scores were quite low. It was puzzling but not what he needed to be focusing on at the moment.

Sasuke turned towards the angry Uzumaki and lifted a single eyebrow as if completely unimpressed at it his abilities to understand his cryptic remark. Sasuke only answered the Uzumaki when the latter grit his teeth, as if he were barely keeping himself from attacking the last Uchiha.

"I said. I thought you were smarter than this. Aren't you the 'Ultimate Prankster'?" At this Sasuke made himself snort, and then continued before Uzumaki could interrupt "I heard each one of your pranks are unique and personalised for the victim. Then why are you thinking of laying a trap without even knowing who your opponent is? Don't you know all Genin teams have a Jounin sensei? They're the best of the best the village has to offer. Do you really think something as simple as an eraser on top of the door is going to be enough to catch them? If you want to get revenge for them being late I won't be the one to stop you. But at least do it right"

Okay so the first part of Sasuke's speech was slightly exaggerated. All he had overheard about Uzumaki's pranks were curses from civilian vendors and promises to 'get back at the demon brat'. Sasuke supposed some of his pranks had to be rather cruel if they had resorted to calling Uzumaki a demon.

The important thing though was that Uzumaki had stopped looking so murderous, and was now giving Sasuke a shocked but considering look. Haruno was staring at him incredulously. Sasuke could understand why. This was probably more that he had said to someone in a few minutes than he had to all his classmates in the last year. And he had said it to the most infamous, least popular dead last Uzumaki Naruto. Regardless, it was necessary for his continued survival.

Sasuke was being the closest he could to 'friendly', but it wasn't because of something as basic as 'teamwork' or 'desire for relationships''. He simply wasn't built for it. However the expression 'using people' didn't seat too comfortably in his stomach either. Sasuke needed to think of this as forming himself capable assistants, people he could trust like a doctor trusted his nurses during a complicated surgery. He looked back at his teammates and sighed. Well, maybe not during a complicated surgery. He couldn't be Head Medic Nin if he killed a patient in his first day.

Sasuke was more than a little surprised when he suddenly heard someone clapping in the back of their classroom. From the way he heard Haruno's shrieks and saw Uzumaki's flinch, he wasn't the only one. The man who had been standing behind them was clearly a Jounin, identifiable by the standard green jacket. He had shocking silver hair bordering on white, a slight slouch, and his left eye was covered by his hitai-ate. If Sasuke weren't still frozen in place, he would've raised his eyebrows at that last one. Wasn't it risky to compromise his depth perception as a Jounin shinobi, even inside the village? Why hadn't the Hokage forbade him from doing something so foolish? Sasuke's more-than-likely-sensei didn't seem worried about his life though. He was still clapping and his right eye was closed as if in a smile. He finally dropped his hands to give them a little wave and in a cheery voice said.

"Maa aren't you three just adorable? Discussing tactics as if you were real shinobi. I'm your new Jounin sensei Hatake Kakashi. I think we're going to get on just fine. Meet me in the rooftop as soon as you can, ne?"

With that rather brief introduction he was gone in a second, probably headed to the just mentioned rooftops. Sasuke looked around. Uzumaki seemed to have already recovered, mumbling something like 'super late' and 'didn't even apologize, the jerk'. Haruno was still glued to her position near the teacher's desk, but soon enough joined Uzumaki in his angry rants that had risen in volume to a rather loud but unified complaints. For someone who the pink haired girl claimed was 'super annoying', they sure were similar.

Sasuke grunted, drawing their attention. He just gestured his head towards the ceiling, hoping they would understand and soon made his way up the stairs. He was surprisingly proud when he heard them following him, their footsteps loud against the steps. Maybe he should raise his standards a bit, if they were capable of at least understanding basic non verbal commands. Uzumaki was still too loud to be around for long though, and he didn't trust Haruno not to steal his things for keepsake if he lowered his guard around her.

It was with slight relief that Sasuke reached the Academy rooftops, his Jounin sensei standing up waiting for him and his team. Sasuke nodded his head at him in respect, but sighed internally when both Uzumaki and Haruno started yelling about Hatake-sensei being late and making them wait until everyone had left. What they didn't seem to understand is that their sensei was simply in control of their entire lives and could do whatever he wanted with them as long as he had the Hokage's approval. They didn't check his behavior, he would check theirs. Sasuke was suddenly glad at all the time he had spent at the library, reading on old and recent Konoha's laws and regulations. If he hadn't he was sure he would be going along with his teammates, because Sasuke had to admit they were right about one thing. Their sensei's tardiness was indeed rather annoying.

Hatake-sensei only nodded throughout their yelling though, his weird eye-smile not leaving his face. After they had both screamed their breaths away he clapped his hands together, just once. He gestured his arms at the dirty floor and said

"Maa what are you waiting for? Sit down~"

Uzumaki mumbled something about them having chairs at their class downstairs but dutifully sat down, slumping on the floor against the AC vent. Haruno sniffed and looked for an area without much dirt. Unfortunately for her there was no such a spot so she just sighed and said something about a new dress before also going down, her legs crossed sideways in what Sasuke was sure she thought was ladylike but instead just looked awkward. He himself had just slid to his knees and arranged himself in seiza.

Hatake-sensei kept himself standing though, blatantly taking them in and probably analyzing their worthiness. It made Sasuke sit straighter, though he internally cursed himself for it. Why did Sasuke even care about what his sensei thought? Sasuke did know why though, he just didn't like it. After what felt like ages but was probably just seconds, their Jounin sensei stepped forward and said

"I think now it's time for introductions. You know all about me after all but I don't know about you guys at all"

Sasuke almost snorted with that, but it was Uzumaki who spoke up:

"Ehhh? What do you mean by that? We only know your name and that you're our Jounin sensei. That's nothing at all!"

Haruno nodded violently, dainty posture forgotten as she shook her fist in the air. Hatake-sensei only shook his head as if they were failing to grasp something very important. Even Sasuke was too afraid to ask what that thing was, although he knew his sensei would tell them now. He was starting to grasp at his personality even if they had exchange just a few words. Sasuke wasn't sure he would survive intact what he was bound to find.

"Well most people I meet these days don't even get that, y'know. Now enough about me. I was serious about getting to know you guys. Please tell me your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and life goals. The loud yellow one. Why don't you begin?"

It was said in a extremely light tone and he knew none of his teammates understood the hidden meaning behind those first words. Their Hatake-sensei was an assassin. In the technical terms all shinobi were. They all had to kill targets someday. However the way their sensei had said it, it was almost like he got no human interaction except for when he was killing in his missions. Hatake-sensei's head was turned towards Uzumaki as he claimed he was 'going to be the next Hokage, believe it' but Sasuke could feel his gaze on him. Belatedly he realized he had been frozen to his kneeling position the moment those few words passed his sensei's lips. And Sasuke knew Hatake-sensei knew. He could feel a migraine forming behind his eyes at all the implications this would have in his future.

Sasuke was snapped out of a slightly panicked daze by his sensei, calling him out with a childish nickname. Shit, he must have missed Haruno's speech. Whatever, it was probably just heavy panned hints towards Sasuke's virginity or something. He had more pressing matters at the moment.

"Now it's your turn, brooding one. Please tell me your name, your likes and dislikes, hobbies and dreams for the future"

Sasuke closed his eyes as he considered his next words. It should be simple, just a basic introduction. However Sasuke knew this talk would be the one to shape his future, to either help or destroy it. He was a genin so legally an adult. If he came clean now there was no way for the Council Elders to stop him without outright stating their goals. And if there was one thing Sasuke knew, is that they were all simply incapable of any transparency. It would be risky but ultimately worth it. Sasuke opened his eyes, filled with a new resolution. He bowed slightly and said

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like freshly picked tomatoes and training. I hate people who slack off. My hobbies include gardening and cooking. I don't really have a dream for the future. It's more of a goal than anything" Here he hesitated. This was it. If he said it outloud now there would be no turning back, no more hiding behind his glares and non-excuses. He cleared his head and nodded again. He knew his teammates were staring at him, surprised at his completely ordinary habits. He could feel his sensei's intent gaze. He turned to stare back at him and said "I plan to become a medic nin. Actually I will become Konoha's Head Medic before I turn thirty. That is my goal for life"

Silence was the only answer he got from this. He could feel the surprise coming from his teammates and extreme curiosity from his sensei. The former suddenly exploded into sound, Uzumaki asking questions about what medic nin even do and Haruno loudly complaining to the skies how she had never known about that. Considering her stalkerish tendencies Sasuke wasn't surprised, although he was suddenly glad no one knew where he lived. He tended to rise early and walk around the village on his way to the Academy, as to not alert his fangirls of his apartment's location. Hatake-sensei just rubbed his hands together as if suddenly plotting. Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine and he wondered if it was too late to feel regret.

"Well my cute genin, I feel the sudden need to visit the Hokage Tower. Please be at the third training ground tomorrow at dawn. Oh! I almost forgot. Don't eat anything before hand or you might puke. Ja ne~"


	4. The Bell Test

AN: Wow I know this is late but writer's block got me by the throat. Chapter word count is longer to compensate. Naruto is not a cooking manga. Without any more delays please enjoy this Team Seven's attempt at teamwork. Please don't forget to review!

Uzumaki is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the first one to speak up. They were all staring at the sun lowering in the horizon, still in their previous positions on the dirty rooftop floor. They'd all been quiet after witnessing the sudden vanishment of Sasuke's new Jounin sensei. Uzumaki stood up and marched to where Hatake-sensei had been standing, only to let out a big sigh.

"Ugh, so no breakfast tomorrow huh? What a pain the ass…"

Sasuke's head snapped up as soon as he heard that. He narrowed his eyes at the blond boy. Certainly he wasn't that stupid? From the spluttered words spilling from Uzumaki's mouth Sasuke realized he must have had actually said that out loud. Hatake-sensei's words must have really shaken him if he had slip up this way in front of his new team.

Sasuke considered explaining why exactly that would be completely idiotic, but in the end he just shook his head and body flickered home. He'd already talked too much and he wasn't about to give them any more motives to be suspicious of him. Not that he wouldn't bring them something filling next morning. Tomorrow was Sasuke's first day under their new Jounin sensei and he wouldn't let Uzumaki or Haruno screw it up for him because of something as simple as not getting enough nutrients. If Sasuke had to cook them all breakfast before every mission surely that was a small price to pay.

Pouring hot miso soup inside a red checkered thermos bottle, Sasuke looked out of his apartment kitchen window. The sun wasn't up yet but the sky was already pink and orange tinted, a sign that it wouldn't be long until it were truly dawn. It was during days like these, Sasuke thought, that he was utterly glad he didn't live in the Uchiha Compound anymore. If he were he wouldn't be able to allow himself to enjoy these little moments of quiet, where there were no hurries beyond checking to see if the grilled salmon was ready to be flipped. It was.

Sasuke closed the thermos with a click and set it down on the counter before grabbing a spatula to poke at the fish in his frying pan. The skin was already hard. Sasuke flipped it and was rewarded with a hearty fizzle. Checking the other pot sitting at his stove, Sasuke was met with warm steam, the white rice fluffy and wafting off a smell of ginger. He turned off the fire for the pot and grabbed himself a large mitten so he could safely lift it towards the three bento boxes on the counter. He checked the salmon again. It was ready. He gripped the frying pan's handle and brought it to the counter, dumping its contents on top of the plate waiting for them. The three fish fillets glistened with their natural fat and Sasuke's olive oil which he had bought at the local farming market. There was just one thing left to do. Sasuke walked to his fridge and pulled out a bright green bowl. It was filled with Sasuke's prized cherry tomatoes and he was sure they would balance out the saltiness of the rest of the prepared meal.

After fixing the bento boxes, Sasuke put everything inside a storage seal and went to check on his weapon pouch. There were the standard kunai and shuriken, and a few smoke bombs. It wasn't a lot but Sasuke had only been a genin for two days. He hadn't been able to buy more weapons and other shinobi supplies yet. Also he was sure that their Jounin sensei would tell them if he wanted anything special for their training today. At least Sasuke hoped that was the case. He walked down the apartment hall and put on his sandals, both his weapon pouch and sealed breakfast fastened to his hips.

It wasn't hard to find the training ground Hatake-sensei mentioned. The sun was finally peeking from behind the mountains, making it easier for Sasuke to see where he was going. It was a small glave surrounded by forest on all sides except for one where a river flowed down. There were three stumps in the middle of the training ground (which Sasuke eyed suspicious), and a slab of stone. Sasuke stepped away from them, not willing to risk any traps and sat down underneath some trees.

It didn't take long until Haruno appeared, her steps light but firm as she took in her surroundings. Sasuke wasn't impressed or surprised by the way she clutched at her stomach, no doubt skipping what he knew to be the most important meal of the day. Sasuke thought about catching her attention and offering her one of the bentos in the storage seal, but an image of Haruno's reaction to him giving her a homemade meal stopped him in his tracks. There were no doubts in Sasuke's mind that she would take this in the wrong way. He would have to wait for Naruto, who always arrived late to class if he weren't skipping it. Great.

Sasuke turned his attention outwards only to realise Haruno had perched herself on the other end of the log he was sitting on and was slowly inching towards him. Sasuke resisted the urge to groan, managing to let out a "tch" and a glare instead. Haruno only sighed dreamingly. Something had to be done. He turned to her. She startled.

"Haruno Sakura". He said slowly, trying to imprint into her brain how serious he was. By the way her eyes gleamed he hadn't succeeded. Maybe all those years speaking in the same monotone had diminished its power. No matter, he knew how to get through her. Sasuke slid closer to her and faced her head on. Haruno only stared.

"Haruno". He began again. "I have plans for my future. Your presence, or Naruto's for that matter, aren't in it." Sasuke saw her wince at his words but he paid it no mind. "However, I now realise adjustments must be made. I was always going to be part of a genin team so not factoring all possible teammates was foolish of me. But for this to work I must make something clear to you. I do not like you. I do not love you. I will never love you. You were assigned to be my companion and so was Naruto, but that does not make you special. Give up on me and focus on being a ninja instead if you want to be of any use. Here." He said, taking out a bento out of its seal and giving it to her, ignoring the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. "Don't miss breakfast again". With that said, Sasuke body flickered away to the other side of the clearing.

Sasuke took out his own bento and snapped his chopsticks apart, quietly eating his food while ignoring the sobs from up ahead. It was for the best. Better to snip the bud by its roots before she got any wild ideas. Uzumaki came soon after, his feet stomping on the ground in his hurry to get to the right training ground. He looked around and was visibly relieved to find his Jounin sensei not present yet. He was decidedly less relieved and much more distressed when he saw Haruno still crying softly in the corner, her right hand trembling as she brought the chopsticks to her mouth.

"Sakura-chan! What's wrong? Did something happen? Is your food too salty? Ne, ne! Tell me what happened, Sakura-chan and I'll fix it!" Uzumaki was flustered and looking around, trying to find the source of Haruno's distress. Haruno, for her part, was trying to recompose herself. When Uzumaki saw Sasuke resting content under the shade, his eyes narrowed. With his fists balling up he marched up to Sasuke and demanded "What did you to Sakura-chan, you smug bastard?"

"I made her breakfast." Sasuke answered truthfully. He handed Uzumaki his share. "Here's yours."

Uzumaki was confused and it showed. He scowled and turned back to Haruno. "Is this true Sakura-chan?"

Haruno just smiled trembling and said "Yes. I'm sorry for crying. It's just that I'm breaking my diet right now and I'll have to start it all over again later…"

Uzumaki nodded at her words as if in his world dieting was a thing girls cried over all the time. Maybe they did, Sasuke wouldn't know. He sat down though, next to Haruno and opened his bento box. He bit his first bite. His eyes boggled. "Did you really cook this?" Sasuke just grunted. Uzumaki shoved down the rest down his throat, much to Haruno's disgust if the crinkling of her nose was any clue.

After they were all done, Sasuke rose from where he was sitting and gave them his thermos, having already drunk his share. Uzumaki eyed it suspiciously but grinned when he realised it was more food. He still gave it to Haruno first. She sighed as the warmth crept up her spine, taking the miso soup in small sips. When it was Uzumaki's turn the slurps could be heard all throughout the training ground. Sasuke grimaced but still said "Don't skip breakfast again, okay moron?" Uzumaki glared but his eyes were glinting. "Sure, bastard."

It was three hours later when their Jounin sensei deigned to show up. When greeted with a screaming pink and blonde duo about how late he was, Hatake-sensei only gave a dismissive shrug and a story that was so obviously false not even Uzumaki fell for it. What he said next though, shut everyone up and made Sasuke sit very, very still.

"HUH? What do you mean we might go back to the Academy? We're genin! Iruka-sensei said so and gave us all hitai-ate!" Uzumaki said with a touch of desperation. Sasuke wondered at that. He had failed his graduation test a couple of times already, hadn't he? Maybe he wasn't sure he could do it again.

Haruno only froze up and stared at Hatake-sensei as if he were her only hope and also her eternal damnation. Sasuke couldn't blame her though. He himself was felt his body stiffen with anxiety. He had shared his ambitions in front of his new teammates and Jounin sensei because he was now an adult legally and no one would be able to stop him from following a medical carrier. What would happen to him now if he failed? Would he be considered a minor again? Was this punishment from the Hokage himself for daring to push against the mold?

As the many scenarios ran through Sasuke's head, Hatake-sensei pulled out two bells from inside his pocket, dangling them in the air. He also pulled out an alarm clock and sat it on the floor next to him. From behind his mask he said "If you don't capture a bell before noon, you'll be tied to one of those posts and go without lunch. I will eat my lunch in front of you. As you can see there are only two bells to capture. The remaining student will stay behind and go back to the Academy. Come at me with all your killing intent if you wish to succeed" His uncovered eye stared at them unblinkingly. "Get ready. Start."

Sasuke instinctively body flickered to the treetops. He needed a plan. He needed to think. He was relieved to notice that Haruno also had the common sense to hide and gather herself before attacking. Uzumaki on the other hand… He winced as he watched Uzumaki fall victim to Hatake-sensei's 'jutsu' but approved of the shuriken. If his reading of their new sensei was correct, he was much stronger than them and it would be impossible to win against him in simple hand-to-hand or ninjutsu. They needed strategy. Sasuke cursed himself for not telling Uzumaki to trap the field. They really needed the advantage right now. He tried to sense Haruno's presence and quickly moved to where she was. She jumped, clearly startled, but her eyes were hard as she considered their situation.

"Haruno, I've seen your written test scores. Give me a working strategy. I need those bells and it's obvious we can't beat sensei on our own." She stared at him as if she wasn't sure what to make of him but nodded all the same. She opened her mouth but the sound of many footsteps drew his attention away. Sasuke stared. Since when Uzumaki Deadlast Naruto could make so many clones? And were those solid? He needed more data. He waited until Hatake-sensei had popped all the clones away before running into the fight, grabbing Uzumaki by the back of his shirt and dragging him and Haruno up to the trees kicking and screaming.

Sasuke was sure their sensei knew exactly where they were since the beginning so he didn't bother to hide their presence. Uzumaki glared at him as if saying he could've won by himself. Haruno just looked bothered to be tossed around. Sasuke scoffed at them but turned his mind to the matter at hand.

"Ne, Naruto. How many clones can you make?"

It didn't matter in the end. They were all tied up to their posts by noon. Hatake-sensei kept his promise and ate everything in front of them. Sasuke wasn't that hungry though, and he knew neither were his teammates. After he was done, their horrible Jounin sensei just stared at them before focusing his attention on Sasuke.

"You, Uchiha. You were the only one to touch the bells. I guess this is the closest your sad group can get to victory. Tell me… if I were to give them to you, who else would you save?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He didn't trust Hatake as far as he could throw him. This was most definitely a test. But what was his sensei testing? In terms of temperament, Haruno was the best option for a genin despite her annoying fangirl habits. However she was weak and sparring against her would be extremely boring if not awkward. Uzumaki was loud and annoying but he could manage solid clones for hours on end. Sasuke couldn't find it within himself to choose the one they'd leave behind.

Maybe he could just make both of them a team and deal with the next batch next year. Hah, as if. But maybe, Sasuke thought as his previous anxieties came back. Maybe this test was rigged from the start. Maybe this really was punishment from the Hokage and no matter his answer they would still leave him tied up to this pole and send him back to the Academy. Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. Here it goes. All or, most likely, nothing.

"Just give the bells to them. I can still pass next year. They'll need it more than I do"

A look of surprise crossed Hatake's face for a second if the widening of one exposed eye was to be trusted. Then his maybe not anymore Jounin sensei stared at him, frowning for one full minute while Uzumaki yelled something about not needing Sasuke's pity in the background. Sasuke frowned back.

Then Hatake closed his eye in a smile, walked over to Sasuke and pinched his cheek. "Don't think I didn't notice you bringing them breakfast. That was against the rules you know?"

Sasuke just glared more and said testily "So what? We would throw up either way, with or without food." Hatake just smiled again and replied "Yup! Remember this my cute genin. Those who break the rules are trash, but those who leave their comrades behind are worse than trash. You are just regular trash, aren't you proud? Congratulations everyone. You pass!"

With that he vanished in a gust of leaves, leaving Sasuke and his teammates gaping at him. Until Haruno and Uzumaki's screams broke through the shocked silence, that is.

"AT LEAST UNTIE US BEFORE YOU LEAVE!"


End file.
